Independiente Medellín beat Boyacá Chicó 2-0 under interim coach Sebastián Botero, a result that kept its Liga BetPlay I playoff hopes alive after a must-win night at home. Francisco Fydriszewski scored Medellín’s second goal, while the opener came after a play involving Frank Fabra that ended with an Aedo own goal.
Botero was in charge only after Alejandro Restrepo’s departure, and Medellín responded with a starting lineup of Éder Chaux, Esneyder Mena, Luis Escorcia, Daniel Londoño, Frank Fabra, Halam Loboa, Alexis Serna, Francisco Chaverra, Daniel Cataño, Yony González and Fydriszewski. The win also mattered against a rival that has had the edge in the overall head-to-head record, with Chicó holding 17 of the 42 meetings, Medellín 13 victories and 13 draws.
The result extended a run in which Medellín has handled Chicó well since the Tunja club returned to first division in 2023. In that stretch, the teams had already played to 0-0 and 1-1 draws in 2023, then Medellín won 1-0 at home in the Clausura 2024 and 3-0 at home in the Apertura 2025. This time, the pressure was sharper because Medellín needed the points to keep its qualification race in motion.
That is what gives the 2-0 win its weight. Medellín did not just collect three points; it did so while still working through a coaching change, with Botero in interim command and Restrepo gone, and with the standings leaving little margin for error. The clean sheet and Fydriszewski’s goal gave the team exactly what it needed, but the path forward still depends on results elsewhere and on whether Medellín can repeat this level before the window closes.
